Army's Cook defies naysayers

WEST POINT — Don't be surprised when Army's Connor Cook gets lost in a snarl of lacrosse traffic because he likes it that way.

Ken McMillan

WEST POINT — Don't be surprised when Army's Connor Cook gets lost in a snarl of lacrosse traffic because he likes it that way.

Cook has heard the comments for years about how he's too short to be a good player in Division I lacrosse, and yet the 5-foot-5 attackman seems especially pleased to defy his detractors and prove himself worthy among players of taller stature.

"You kind of get tired of hearing 77 and 33 (teammate Will Mazzone) are real tiny and they are not capable of playing this sport at this level,'' said Cook, who wears the 77. "I really use my size to my advantage and going under people "» it really helps.''

It's a common sight in lacrosse to see defenders muscle up against advancing attack players, leaning bodies on opponents to slow them down or divert their paths. When these bigger, more physical defenders come up against players like Cook and the 5-6 Mazzone it throws off their usual methods; plus, you can't hit what you can't catch.

"Defenders are way bigger than me and Mazzone,'' Cook said. "So we use our size to get under people, draw fouls. They have to lower their stance. When we come around, we have the quickness and the ability that they don't have. They are catching up to us when we are coming around to the goal.''

Navy had a lot of difficulty tracking down Cook in Saturday's 14-7 Army victory. Cook posted his second career hat trick and added three assists. The Army Athletic Association named Cook as its athlete of the week, and he earned honorable mention notice for the Patriot League weekly awards.

"Everybody just told me to step up,'' Cook said. "People were finishing shots. "» I was finishing shots. It was a great team victory.''

The sophomore Cook said he wasn't nervous about playing in the storied rivalry, in front of 10,000 fans, since he split time with Mazzone at last year's game in Annapolis, Md.

"The confidence of playing last year really translated this year,'' Cook said. "It made me feel more comfortable. You have the confidence and it's a big stage.''

Cook and Mazzone play on the same attack unit as John Glesener, a candidate for national player of the year. Cook ranks third on the Army team with 24 points, having scored 13 goals.

"We all believe in each other,'' Cook said. "When someone steps on the field, we believe in them. We know they have the capability of getting the goal.''